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So you have been thinking of buying a pair of two way radios. But you are a solo backpacker, so what use could you possibly get out of them? Well I have turned them into a useful survival tool.
When heading out make sure both of your radios are fully charged. One radio goes with you, the other you leave in your car in open view with the charger. Next you have a written letter detailing your itinerary, emergency contacts, and a note stating that you will check your radio at special times through out the day (usually 2-4 times a day), for 5-10 minutes. Make sure to put down which channel you will be on. Leave this note either on your dash board of your car, or stuck behind the windshield wiper. Write in bold block letters "For Search and Rescue" on the outside of the envelope.
The idea is that should you go missing, and not return by the time you told your family, friends, and/or the park rangers, the S&R team will not only have a detailed itinerary of your plans, but also a way to possibly get in contact with you at some point during the day. Leaving the charger allows them to have the radio on all the time and fully charged.
What type of two way radio you whant to buy is up to you. I personally go for ones with good range and are water proof. You pay a bit more, but I'd rather have one I know will work after a down pour catches me, then one that will break after a morning dew.
Just think, you're sitting under a tree lost and you forgot your pack at camp somewhere but you brought your radio in your pocket or attached to your belt. You're a day pass due to return home. Your friends call the rangers telling them you've not shown up and havne't returned any calls (cell phones don't work where you're at.) The rangers go to your car, see the letter written to S&R. Reading it, they get all the information they need to get a general idea of where to start.
By your letter they turn the radio on at 4 PM, and wait to hear from you. You look at your watch and turn your radio on. Clicking it 3 times to send an S.O.S. you then transmit "Hello, can anyone hear me? I'm lost and in need of medical attention." Within moments you hear the rangers reply "We copy you. What's your location, we'll get you out." Now while you might not know exactly where you are, but you could probably give them a general idea, or at least some local land marks perhapse they might recognize.
This allows you to possibly get medical or survival helps via radio till S&R find you, and a big moral boost to hear a humans voice and know you aren't alone and will be found.
Rather then leave the radio in your car, you could also always leave it with the park rangers at the station, telling them what it's for. I am sure that most DNR agents will be understand and helpful when it comes to smart thinking like this. And if the rangers have the radio plugged in at all times and on, you could just turn yours on and call in for any kind of emergency that might arise. Perhapse you come across someone lost or injured, or you yourself become so. Rather then having to wait till someone figures out you're missing you could just call in for help.
When heading out make sure both of your radios are fully charged. One radio goes with you, the other you leave in your car in open view with the charger. Next you have a written letter detailing your itinerary, emergency contacts, and a note stating that you will check your radio at special times through out the day (usually 2-4 times a day), for 5-10 minutes. Make sure to put down which channel you will be on. Leave this note either on your dash board of your car, or stuck behind the windshield wiper. Write in bold block letters "For Search and Rescue" on the outside of the envelope.
The idea is that should you go missing, and not return by the time you told your family, friends, and/or the park rangers, the S&R team will not only have a detailed itinerary of your plans, but also a way to possibly get in contact with you at some point during the day. Leaving the charger allows them to have the radio on all the time and fully charged.
What type of two way radio you whant to buy is up to you. I personally go for ones with good range and are water proof. You pay a bit more, but I'd rather have one I know will work after a down pour catches me, then one that will break after a morning dew.
Just think, you're sitting under a tree lost and you forgot your pack at camp somewhere but you brought your radio in your pocket or attached to your belt. You're a day pass due to return home. Your friends call the rangers telling them you've not shown up and havne't returned any calls (cell phones don't work where you're at.) The rangers go to your car, see the letter written to S&R. Reading it, they get all the information they need to get a general idea of where to start.
By your letter they turn the radio on at 4 PM, and wait to hear from you. You look at your watch and turn your radio on. Clicking it 3 times to send an S.O.S. you then transmit "Hello, can anyone hear me? I'm lost and in need of medical attention." Within moments you hear the rangers reply "We copy you. What's your location, we'll get you out." Now while you might not know exactly where you are, but you could probably give them a general idea, or at least some local land marks perhapse they might recognize.
This allows you to possibly get medical or survival helps via radio till S&R find you, and a big moral boost to hear a humans voice and know you aren't alone and will be found.
Rather then leave the radio in your car, you could also always leave it with the park rangers at the station, telling them what it's for. I am sure that most DNR agents will be understand and helpful when it comes to smart thinking like this. And if the rangers have the radio plugged in at all times and on, you could just turn yours on and call in for any kind of emergency that might arise. Perhapse you come across someone lost or injured, or you yourself become so. Rather then having to wait till someone figures out you're missing you could just call in for help.
